Allies with Benefits
by InuKaglover815
Summary: Kagome is tired of being alone, but hasn't yet been able to find someone to ease her frustrations. Will she find someone willing to become her dirty little secret? Or is she doomed to remain unfulfilled forever?
1. A Fate Worse than Death

Allies with Benefits

Alright guys, so I got the idea for this a while back and have been working a lot on it recently. I debated on whether or not I should go ahead and post this or wait until I get more of the story written, but I decided in the end to just go ahead and let you guys read it so you could tell me what you think.

Chapter One: A Fate Worse than Death.

"This is all your fault you know." From her place at the top of the well house steps, Kagome glared daggers at the well. "If you hadn't pulled me into the feudal era, I wouldn't have such high expectations in relationships." Looking at her watch, Kagome groaned as she realized she was late. Hojo was waiting for her and as much as she hated to go, she'd promised him one last date.

It wasn't that she preferred the men in the feudal era with their silly beliefs about women being little more than property and their general idiocy, but with all her adventures fighting youkai in search of the sacred jewel shards, she'd become accustomed to the excitement. And so, because of that, the thought of dating someone has quiet as Hojo bored her to tears. She needed the thrill of the constant unknown and a relationship with any of her schoolmates would completely lack the spontaneity that she desperately craved. Her friends' stories of their secret romances, while they had intrigued her in the past, now practically put her to sleep.

But she had others needs too. Needs that she thought she could at least partially pacify by dating Hojo. But Hojo had proved to be even more boring than he seemed at school. He hadn't even attempted to seduce her in the three weeks she'd been dating him. He'd kissed her goodnight every time they went out, but even those barely qualified as kisses. Finally, she'd had enough. Frustrated beyond belief, when Hojo had shown up for their date a few nights ago, she'd told him to home saying that she had no interest in continuing their relationship. He'd gone home reluctantly, but then the next morning, he'd called her begging her to reconsider. And finally she'd agreed to go on one final date with him, tonight.

She purposely dragged her feet as she approached the steps, unsurprised when she spotted Hojo waiting patiently by his car at the bottom. She took her time walking down the stairs, even if it only delayed the inevitable, half-hoping Inuyasha would come leaping out of the trees and drag her back to the feudal era. But she knew he was still helping Kaede construct the hut for the new girl who was training to become a miko.

"There you are," Hojo said when she finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"I promised didn't I?" She tried to look happy as he opened the car door for her, but inside she was counting down the seconds till the date would be over. She already knew what they would do. Hojo was if anything a creature of habit. First, he would take her to a sit down restaurant where he would try to impress her by bragging about all his achievements at work. And then, they would either go to the park where she would be expected to walk slower than Methuselah while he held her hand and continued with his life story, or he would take her to see a movie.

Sure enough, a few minutes later they arrived at Hanamon, a sukiyaki restaurant known for its high quality beef. As she tried to wait patiently for Hojo to open her door, Kagome couldn't help but think that she would rather be headed back to Kaede's hut for one of the simple broth soups the old miko was known for. Fancy food really wasn't her cup of tea. Or well, if she was honest, it wasn't so much the food as it was the company that bothered her. She never felt she could really relax in places like this.

The middle-aged waitress smiled at them and led them to a secluded table in the back, obviously thinking to give them the privacy to be romantic. But all Kagome could think was that her options for suitable distractions were now even more limited than before. As the waitress took their orders, Kagome quickly thought back to how long it had been since she'd been on a date with Hojo, groaning when she realized it had been four days since the night that she'd dumped him…which meant it had been almost a week since she'd gone out with him. She inwardly cringed as she thought about all the boring medical stories she would have to sit through tonight.

Sometimes, when Hojo began bragging about his most recent diagnosis at the clinic, she was tempted to ask him if he knew how to treat a hole in someone's gut or if he knew how to use reiki to treat wounds on a youkai without harming their youki. Hojo's idea of a rough day was having to give someone a couple of stitches—which was something he said he couldn't stand doing. She wondered what he would do if he saw the kind of wounds she had to treat every day in the feudal era. Traveling with Inuyasha was bound to turn anyone into an experienced nurse.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

"Huh," she said softly, shaking her head to dislodge her thoughts. "Sorry Hojo, guess I'm a little out of it."

"Have a lot on your mind?"

"No, I think it's more that my mind just wants to take a vacation." _Yeah, a vacation from this date…._

"Oh, really? I'm sorry. You shouldn't work yourself so hard. You don't want to get sick again."

"Riiiight,"

Their food arrived a short time later and Hojo began rambling about some patient he'd had the day before while Kagome once again allowed her mind to slip off. As a rather voluptuous woman walked by, Kagome amused herself thinking about how Miroku would react if he saw her. She could picture the monk approaching the woman and calmly asking her to bear his children. And from the way the woman was blatantly flirting with the man sitting at the table next to hers, Kagome didn't really think she would mind. But of course, thoughts of Miroku hitting on another woman immediately brought to mind how Sango would react. She wondered if her friend would knock Miroku out even in this crowded room, or if she would drag him out of the room first. Normally, Sango wouldn't waste any time knocking her overly perverted friend over the head whenever he made a lewd comment, but lately she'd noticed Sango developing a penchant for dragging Miroku off somewhere private whenever he tried to grope her. She had a feeling something was going on and she wondered how long it would be before they decided to bring their relationship out into the open.

But the more she thought about it, the more she could understand why they were trying to keep everything a secret. She could see how the secrecy would bring a layer of thrill to the relationship. Having something that was just yours that no one else knew about would definitely make things spicier in her opinion. Now if only she could find someone willing to be her dirty little secret. Inuyasha was out of the question since she no longer felt all that attracted to him. Plus the hanyou couldn't keep a secret to save his life. She also knew that while Kouga would be more than willing to start a secret romance with her, she had no desire to see him on a regular basis either. His possessiveness aside, Kouga stank. No, regular bathing would definitely have to be a must for her would be lover.

Noticing it had been quite a while since she'd said anything, Kagome looked over to see if Hojo had noticed she wasn't listening to him, but he was still rambling on about something. Relieved that her cover remained intact, Kagome slipped back into her own thoughts.

_I wonder how Inuyasha would react to this place. _She wondered, automatically picturing the hanyou walking amongst the tables around them. She could almost hear him mumbling about how boring these people were. But then again, he might be too distracted by the food to notice what anyone was saying. She'd never seen anyone eat like her hanyou friend. _But then again, they don't have any instant ramen…he'd probably say the food was boring too. And then he'd pick me up and drag me back home. If only we hadn't driven here. Damn modern advancement!_

She took another bite of her food, wondering how long Hojo would want to stay before they went on to their next destination. She somewhat hoped they would go to the movies since that would mean she might possibly be able to somewhat distract herself. But then again, the movies Hojo normally took her to see were so boring that she had to fight just to stay awake. He seemed to think that she liked watching chick flicks, which was sometimes true. She did like watching romantic comedies, but the movies he took her to were just romantic or filled with romantic drama and she had never seen the appeal of movies like that. As she tried to force herself to focus on what Hojo was saying, movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention away. She looked towards the door and watched a tall businessman walk into the restaurant.

_Sesshoumaru would probably do that same thing if someone made him come in here, _she thought as the man sneered at the voluptuous woman from before. And then almost as soon as she thought it, Kagome wondered why she'd thought of the youkai lord in the first place.

_I guess it's because that man reminds me of him. _The man turned and sat down with another man and his wife and Kagome turned back to Hojo, noting thankfully that he had finally finished eating. Placing her chopsticks on the side of her plate to show she was finished as well, Kagome smiled and silently prayed that they would leave soon so that she could be that much closer to the freedom that awaited her at the end of the date.


	2. Square One Again…Damn it!

Allies with Benefits

Chapter Two: Square One Again…Damn it!

Kagome had been right…as soon as they left the restaurant—the strange man's eyes following her the entire time—they went straight to the movie theatre to watch a movie about a woman with amnesia trying to relate to her husband who kept blubbering about how much he loved her. She tried to appear interested whenever Hojo looked over at her since no matter what, she'd rather listen to the movie drivel on than listen to another one of Hojo's stories from work.

Afterwards Hojo threw her for a loop by taking her to the park. He led her around the lamp lit paths, past hidden benches which concealed love sick teenagers and one or two old couples, and not once did he ever attempt to touch anything other than her hand. When they turned around to go home, Kagome could have sworn she saw the strange man from the restaurant following them, but she brushed it off, attempting to convince herself that she was just so bored that her mind was playing tricks on her.

When she finally got home, Kagome was ready to hand all her jewel shards over to Naraku if it meant she wouldn't have to ever see Hojo again. He tried to kiss her goodnight when he dropped her up, but she'd hastily got out of the car before he could. Inwardly, she couldn't help but thank whatever god had decided that her family would protect a shrine; Hojo never walked her to the door because he didn't like climbing the stairs. As she started up the stairs and heard him drive off below her, she sighed in relief knowing her last date with Hojo was finally over. But of course, that also meant she was back at square one.

Deciding to think about it in the morning, Kagome slowly made her way to her room, intent on taking a nice hot shower before going to bed. When she opened her door, she was surprised to find her bed already occupied by someone else. Inuyasha was sprawled on his back on her bed, and she tried to restrain her chuckle thinking about how cute he looked, cuddling the blanket to him as he slept, his ears twitching every so often as his subconscious continually checked for threats. Smiling, she turned and crept back into the hall, deciding to take a shower in the guest room so she wouldn't wake him.

When she was finally ready for bed, Kagome gently nudged her hanyou friend, trying to get him to scoot over so that she could climb in beside him. He grumbled incoherently, his eyes never opening as he slid over to let her in. This was becoming their habit whenever Kagome came home. Now that Sango and Miroku were getting so close, Inuyasha was often left by himself. And though he would never admit it, Kagome knew he got lonely. So, he often would slip through the well at night to spend the night with her in the modern era and then they would go back to the feudal era in the morning. The first time it had happened, Kagome had been afraid it would be awkward sharing a bed with him, but now she didn't even think about it. They were just two friends sleeping in the same bed. She tugged at bit at the blankets to get them out from under him and then she too fell into the blissful peace of her dreams.

The next morning, Kagome was surprised to find Inuyasha was still asleep when she woke up. _Kaede must have really worked him hard yesterday, _she thought, getting up as quietly as she could and making her way down to the kitchen, mumbling a good morning to her brother as she passed him on the way to the fridge. She stared at the contents of the fridge for almost a minute before grumbling in frustration and turning towards the pantry.

"Want some cereal?" Souta asked happily, lifting his bowl of sugary flakes towards Kagome.

"No thanks," she said, resisting the urge to grimace. Turning to the cabinet, Kagome resigned herself to another breakfast of ramen.

"Kagome?" Her mom said as she watched her daughter start the water. "Can't I make you something else?"

"Sorry mom….but I don't think my stomach can handle anything else right now. Besides I know it's what Inuyasha is gonna want."

"I thought I heard him come in last night. Alright, well I guess it's ok. But honey, you really need to find something better to eat for breakfast in the future."

"Yes mom," she sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. Ever since she'd started traveling in the feudal era, her stomach had gotten extremely sensitive in the morning. She was lucky if she could force down some peanut butter toast, but most days, she was limited to ramen. Inuyasha loved her breakfast routine, but she was tired of it.

Figuring it wouldn't be too much longer until the smell of food attracted her grumpy companion, Kagome poured a glass of juice for both of them. Sure enough, a few minutes later when she poured the finished noodles into a couple of bowls, she heard footsteps on her stairs.

"Morning sleepyhead," she said as Inuyasha walked in, smiling when the hanyou merely grumbled incoherently and plopped down in a chair. She set his ramen and juice in front of him and he mumbled a thank you as she sat down to enjoy her own breakfast, meager that it was. _Maybe I can convince Inuyasha to stick around for a while so that I can get something better later._

"Sesshoumaru is in the village." Inuyasha mumbled, in between bites of ramen.

"Wha-why?" Kagome said, trying unsuccessfully to hide the surprise evident in her voice. _Ok, that's weird, _she thought, thinking back to the strange man the night before. _But I guess that explains why Inuyasha showed up. _"I wonder what he wants."

"Hell if I know, something about Rin."

"Well, we can hang here today if you'd rather," she said, knowing full well Inuyasha wouldn't feel comfortable staying in the modern era for more than a couple of hours. "I'm sure Sesshoumaru won't stick around very long."

"Yeah, I guess."

Kagome smiled and refreshed his drink, knowing her friend was struggling with himself. She knew the reason he only came to the modern era at night was the decrease in sounds and smells. During the day, there was just too much going on and it tended to overwhelm his senses, making him nervous and uncomfortable. But on the other hand, he hated being near his brother. Kagome could almost see his internal battle as he tried to decide what to do. "It doesn't matter to me, Inuyasha. We can go back now too, if you'd rather."

He grumbled something about not wanting to be within 1000 miles of his brother and Kagome nodded. After breakfast, she tried to distract him by taking him with her to the grocery store to restock her stash of soon to be time traveling food—something he usually seemed to enjoy. She figured the sight of so many things he'd never seen enticed him just as much as the smells of the various foods. After all, Inuyasha was a very curious being by nature. They passed the seafood section and he immediately gravitated to the lobster tank.

She had thought several times of taking him to the aquarium so that he could see some really weird fish, but there was always this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that such a trip would end disastrously. After all, there were whales in some of those tanks. Inuyasha had never seen a whale, or at least she assumed he hadn't. Seeing something so huge would could very possible put him into full fight mode. And attacking the glass that held back tons and tons of water was never a good idea.

Needless to say, she was hesitant to take him somewhere where he would be tempted to attack something. It was hard enough keeping him from drawing an enormous amount of attention to them, adding more temptation would only end badly, that much she was sure of. Which was a pity as she rather liked visiting the aquarium.

~Shift~

"Are you ready yet?"

"No Inuyasha." Rubbing her temples, Kagome forced herself to take a deep breath as she tried to convince herself that she didn't want to go down the stairs and purify him for yelling so loudly. They'd gotten home a little over half an hour ago and Kagome was attempting to get her bag packed so they could leave, but the damn hanyou wouldn't shut up long enough for her to think.

Looking around, she tried to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. "Let's see, I got my clothes, bath stuff, bikini, books, cd player, food, what else do I need…Oh!" She almost forgotten it….

She reached behind her bookshelf to the secret shelf she'd installed a couple of years ago and grabbed her new secret weapon. She'd been really skeptical about buying it, but Eri's rave reviews had finally convinced her to give it a try. It had arrived in a plain box which did a great deal to preserve her modesty—she didn't know what she'd do if one of her friends found out about it-and since it ran on batteries, it was easy for her to take it back with her. She hadn't had a chance to test it out fully so she couldn't wait until night fell and she could slip away to the hot springs. She had also tested to make sure it worked with her CD player. The lack of plug-ins made taking her ipod back a big hassle since she generally had to come home every couple of days to charge the stupid thing. This way, she could just take a big bag of batteries with her, which was so much easier.

Placing her new "weapon" into her backpack, Kagome checked one last time to make sure she had everything before locking her door and walking down to meet her grumpy companion.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

"Bout time! Let's go!" He turned around and offered his back to her and Kagome couldn't resist her smile. _He must really be worried about Sesshoumaru._ But silly as he was acting, she knew better than to tell him he had nothing to worry about. Even though Sesshoumaru was technically now their ally, she knew Inuyasha wouldn't relax until the taiyoukai was well on his way out of the village.

She pushed his hair out of the way and clambered onto his back, sighing in contentment as he effortlessly tossed his hair back over his shoulder to fall over her. Inuyasha might like carrying her so they could travel faster, but she had her own reasons for allowing him to carry her everywhere. She loved his hair.

His hair, while it wasn't particularly well kept, was like being surrounded by a warm, fluffy blanket. Inuyasha ran so fast that even when it was ninety degrees outside, she would get chilled to the bone if his hair wasn't covering her. So, as Inuyasha bounded towards the well house, she looped her arms around his neck, leaned against his shoulder, and enjoyed the brush of the slightly rough strands against her skin. All too soon, Inuyasha had landed on the other side of the well. But instead of running on to the village like Kagome thought he would, Inuyasha set her down.

"Hey, what's up? Why'd we stop?" Kagome said as she tried to walk around him, surprised when he stopped her.

"Hello little brother."

A.N. Sorry about the BAD ending place….but I thought you guys had waited on this chapter long enough. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner I promise. And the next chapter of CMB will be out soon as well, just need a bit more to complete the chapter.


	3. Realization of a Goal

Allies with Benefits

Chapter Three: Realization of a Goal

"What do _you_ want?" Inuyasha growled.

"I merely wished to see if Rin spoke the truth."

"The truth about what?"

"My ward tells me," the taiyoukai replied, walking languidly around the clearing as he spoke, "that your miko jumps into this well and disappears for days on end. And given that you yourself have appeared where nothing was before, I am curious. Where does it go?"

"None of your busi…"

"It goes to my home." Kagome said softly, peeking around Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha hissed, turning to glare at her for a moment before spinning back around to face his brother. "Like I said, it's none of your business. Now, get out of MY forest!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, an almost hollow sound that sent chills down Kagome's spine. He turned and began walking gracefully back to the woods and Kagome wondered why it was always the bad guys who got the sensuous voices and bodies that turned girls into goo. She found herself staring at the blanket of hair that swayed behind him as he walked and wondering just what that waterfall of silk was hiding. And then, once again, Kagome found herself wondering why she kept thinking like this in the first place.

_I really need to get laid._

Almost as if he'd read her mind, Sesshoumaru turned at the edge of the clearing and stared right into her eyes for a moment before he disappeared into the shadows. When he was gone, Inuyasha started heading towards the village, grumbling the whole way.

When they got back to the village, Kagome discovered Sesshoumaru's reason for being there. The new miko starting training with Kaede was none other than Rin. The young girl had grown a lot in the years they'd been chasing Naraku and Kagome could understand why Sesshoumaru was foisting her off onto Kaede. Girls her age usually produced a lot of questions…and drama, two things for which the taiyoukai normally had no patience for. Kagome wondered if Rin had already begun having her monthly gift and if she should offer to show the young girl how to use the more convenient tools from the future to manage it. That had been one of the most shocking things about her stays in the feudal era, the sheer lack of hygienic methods to manage a period. Some women she'd talked to merely wore a cloth *ahem* down there and then wrung it out every hour or so before placing it back to catch more! No, modern medicine was definitely the way to go on this.

_WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS?!_

Shoving thoughts of all things menstrual or sexual from her mind, Kagome busied herself helping Kaede and Sango prepare dinner while the boys went to check the perimeter of the village for attackers—according to Inuyasha anyways, but Kagome knew the truth. They were going to look for Sesshoumaru. Plain and simple.

She really didn't see what Inuyasha was so worried about. Sesshoumaru wasn't one to sneak around and draw out an attack. If he had been planning to attack them, he would have done it already. She suspected the taiyoukai was merely making sure his ward was suitably settled and then he would wander off once again. But even when he did wander off, given that Rin was pretty much the only person on the planet he seemed to give a crap about, he probably wouldn't stay gone long. That meant Kagome had lots of stressful days spent keeping Inuyasha from getting himself killed in her future. _Not that I don't now. That idiot would jump straight into the pit of a volcano if he thought it was challenging him—another reason not to go to the aquarium. _

She had to wonder if it ever got tiring being that stupid. She knew it certainly frustrated her to no end. How he could have lived so long and not learned a damn thing from his mistakes was beyond her. She'd never forget when they'd been battling Hyõga and the stupid hanyou had leapt into the air time after time to attack the moth youkai's energy field only to fall back down to the ground and leap up again as if he expected different results each time. It was one of the reasons she had decided it was useless to think she could ever have anything deeper than friendship with him. He never learned, and she was a crappy teacher.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Kagome gathered her new toy and made her way to the hot spring. She'd been afraid she wouldn't get a chance to try it out tonight as Inuyasha kept making excuses to wander through the village in search of his brother, but about half an hour ago, the hanyou had retreated to the roof of Kaede's hut for the night, leaving her free to make her escape. She'd waited until she'd heard the telltale sounds of Inuyasha's snoring before sneaking away into the night. She'd thought long and hard about this moment. What songs she was going to play—she'd even made a CD specifically to use tonight—what settings she wanted to try out first, even how she would lay while doing it. She just hoped the experience wouldn't fall short of her expectations. When she reached the hot springs, Kagome carefully laid out all her toiletries by the spring. She didn't plan on soaking before going back, but this way if someone came looking for her, she could say she'd come out here for a bath.

Laying out her towel on the grass, Kagome pulled her new toy from its box. The sleek shiny purple vibrator remained still and for a moment, Kagome panicked until remembering that on its current setting, it wouldn't do anything until she hit play on her CD player. She slowly slipped out of her pajamas, her eyes periodically checking the trees for a flash of red or purple before lying down on her back. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tip inside her body and allowed herself to get used to the feeling. The pain that enveloped her wasn't unexpected, but she found if she went slowly she could keep it at a bearable level, allowing her body to adjust as she went. She was a bit surprised when she didn't encounter any resistance that would signify her hymen, but she'd heard stories of women's hymen's getting torn prematurely by strenuous activity—something which she was certainly familiar with—so she tried not to let it bother her.

When she finally got it completely inside herself, Kagome pulled her headphones on, pressed play, and promptly exclaimed her surprise…rather loudly I might add. The sensation was like nothing she'd ever experienced. Far more stimulating than anything her hands had ever been able to accomplish, Kagome felt like she was floating on Cloud Nine. As the song continued to rise in tempo, she reached down between her legs and gave the handle a tug, unable to stop the moan that flowed from her as she did.

A ways off in the woods, Sesshoumaru's ears perked up from his place high in a tree, the sound of someone moaning causing him to pause in his hand's movements on his own erection. Swiftly retying his hakama, the taiyoukai made his way through the treetops towards the sounds, which were growing in number and volume. Spying the miko, he watched transfixed as she moved some sort of device between her legs. It wasn't hard to guess its purpose, but the strange sounds it along with the strange device covering her ears were making caused him to pause. Deciding to take advantage of the show, he loosened the ties to his hakama and prepared to make himself more comfortable before stopping as a better idea popped into his head.

His feet were silent as he dropped to the ground, still slightly unsure of what exactly his plan was as he approached her writhing form. He wondered just how she would react when she saw him standing over her. He was actually a bit surprised when she didn't notice him immediately. Silent as he was, she should have at least felt his presence by now. _I wonder how far I can go before she realizes I'm here._

Kagome was in a world all her own. She couldn't believe how intense the pleasure was. She pumped the shaft deep into her core as the music whirled around her, the rhythm rising as the song neared its climax. She was almost there, the pressure was building up to that one final explosion and she eagerly welcomed it. Opening her eyes for the briefest of moments, Kagome screamed when she found she was not alone.

"Wha…what are you doing here?!" She searched blindly for her clothes, unwilling to take her eyes from the taiyoukai who stood in front of her with his hand down his pants. The vibrator still thrummed inside her, and she moaned involuntarily as a particularly fast moment came on. Sesshoumaru was still watching her; the movements of his hand leaving little doubt what he intended to do. Hoping to lessen the temptation, Kagome once again made another frantic grab behind her for her clothes. When she couldn't find them, Kagome pulled off her headphones and removed the vibrator from her body. His eyes immediately gravitated to it for a moment and he finally withdrew his hand from his hakama. He still hadn't answered her though, so Kagome decided to try a different approach. Sliding gently backwards, she tried to make it back to the water's edge, but her movement only served to draw his attention back to her.

He moved so quickly, she'd barely even felt it. One second, he was standing beside her and the next, he'd picked her up and leapt high into the trees. She struggled wildly, prying at his hand around her waist as she fought to escape. That is, until a low "Be still," rumbled from his throat. She obediently ceased her struggles, deciding to instead try to cover as much of her body as she could with her hands. She was shaking now; the cool air intensifying her nervousness as his fingers feathered over her skin where he held her. "What are you doing?" she asked again.

"I would think that would be obvious." He said, shifting her slightly so he could reach more of her body.

"In a tree?!"

"Mmm, no escape routes."

He leaned down to nibble her neck and Kagome opened her mouth to protest until it occurred to her that this was her chance. She'd been looking for a lover, and here was an extremely attractive youkai wanting her "love." And as far as potential bed partners went, she could definitely do worse. Sesshoumaru was not only otherworldly gorgeous, she'd never seen him look less than perfect. Ever. And, nestled in his arm like she was, she was surrounded by his scent, which reminded her of a waterfall up in the mountains that she'd visited in her youth. A combination of water, leaves, and earth.

His mouth had reached her shoulder and she groaned. But then her foot slipped off the branch and reminded her that she was currently thirty feet off the ground and the man holding her only had one arm.

Scooting a littler close to him, she cleared her throat. "Um, Sesshoumaru, do you think we could continue this conversation on the ground?"

"There is no need for conversing."

Kagome snorted; a quiet "Beg to differ," whispering from her lips as his hand found her nipple, but she couldn't really bring herself to protest further. His lips on her skin felt heavenly and she leaned into his touch. "Sesshoumaru please…"

He smirked against her skin, slowly guiding her to turn around and lean against his raised knee. When she was sufficiently balanced, he carefully undid the ties to his armor, laying it across a nearby branch out of the way. He then began on the ties for his haori. As Kagome watched him fumble with the knots, her mind registered just how difficult such a simple task could be when you only had one hand with which to accomplish it.

She reached forward and brushed his hand away with her own, taking over the task of undressing the powerful taiyoukai. She undid the sash slowly and he shrugged out of his shirt, draping it and the inner shirt over yet another nearby branch. She then reached down to the ties to his hakama, but hesitated as her fingers touched the silk. After this, there would be no turning back. She was about to sleep with Inuyasha's brother. A man who, until very recently, had been her enemy. A man who had tried to melt her with his own acid…and who was one handed because of her.

"Are you sure about this?" She said suddenly, pulling back slightly to meet his gaze.

His growl rumbled through his body to her own and Kagome felt what little innards she had left turn to pudding. But still, as much as she wanted this, she found she was too shy to take it.

After a moment though, he seemed to realize her predicament and took up disrobing himself again. Kagome watched as he slowly undid the knots holding his pants and twisted the sash around a branch above them.

"Hold," he mumbled gruffly and Kagome immediately obeyed, reaching above her head to grasp the dangling cloth. When she was secured thus, Sesshoumaru lifted his hips slightly to push his hakama down. He then guided Kagome back until his member rested against her body. "This will hurt."

Kagome nodded and braced herself for the pain while praying that she didn't get blood all over his pants. Then, without any further warning, he jerked upwards and she gasped as he embedded himself fully within her. She tried to force her body to relax. He was much larger than her musical toy and she hadn't been prepared for the sheer volume of pain that enveloped her. He was apparently waiting for her to adjust, for which she was extremely grateful. She wasn't sure her body could handle any more stimulation at this point. Already, she could feel her nerves igniting in preparation for what was to come.

When the pressure had backed down to a dull pinch, she nodded slightly, biting her lip to keep from crying out as he began his thrusts. The pleasure ricocheted through her entire body, her every nerve inflamed to the point that she could feel the pinpricks of them all over her skin, as if her entire body had been asleep and was now waking up. She released his sash, her arms lowering slightly before his voice once more thrummed through her.

"Leave them up,"

She obediently grasped the cloth again; surprised as an unbearable desire to touch him surged through her. His rhythm was hard and fast, his shaft pounding into her as his head bent down to nibble at her neck. She wanted so bad to drop her hands and hold his head to her skin, but she had to admit, being taken by something you couldn't touch added another dimension to the experience. But as her pleasure mounted, it became harder for her to focus on keeping her hands attached to the cloth, and as his lips found her nipple, she could withstand it no longer.

Crying out, she dropped her arms to wrap them around his neck, holding him to her as he lavished her body with attention. Her fingers entangled in his hair as the tension once again rose to the breaking point. She eagerly welcomed the rush, his name tearing forth from her lips as a rainbow of color exploded behind her eyes and she dropped her head back to enjoy the bliss. A few strokes later and he jerked underneath her as his seed shot into her and he buried his nose in her neck.

His fingers danced lightly over her skin as Kagome slowly returned to her senses. His body was vibrating gently in contentment and she fought the urge to compare him to her cat. Stretching her limbs to further relax her body, she leaned back against his still raised knee to look at him.

"Um…" she said softly, unsure of just what one was supposed to say to the youkai who'd deflowered her. "Thanks," was lame. "That felt good" was cliché. And she didn't really want to jump right out and ask him if he'd be willing to do this on a regular basis. So, what did that leave her with? She shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable, straining her mind for something to say.

But, apparently the fates were going to decide for her though. Before she'd even gotten completely settled against him, she heard Inuyasha's voice rising through the trees. "Kagome? Where are you?"

Cursing softly, Kagome realized she'd been gone a lot longer than she'd meant to be. Glancing at the taiyoukai in front of her and noting that he was apparently in no hurry to move given his relaxed position, she tried to pull herself off of him so she could climb down the tree. But when she reached across him to grab the trunk, he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"If I don't go, he'll tear the forest apart looking for me." Sesshoumaru sighed, giving her a look that clearly said she had overlooked something important. "What?"

"You are covered in my scent."

"Oh…" She hadn't thought of that. She didn't even want to think about what her hanyou friend would do if he smelled his hated brother's scent all over her. But they had to do something though, soon Inuyasha would be close enough to smell them and that would only end in disaster. Sighing, she leaned her head back against his knee to think, getting an idea when she saw the sliver of the crescent moon hanging above them.

"We're right above the hot spring right?" She asked and he paused in gathering his clothing to nod at her slightly. "Tomorrow is the new moon, Inuyasha's senses will be somewhat dulled until after he transforms. If you can get me to the spring before he gets much closer, I should be able to wash off enough of your scent that he won't be able to smell it over the other scents surrounding the spring."

"And what will you say when he smells me nearby?"

"Hey, I didn't know you were nearby. You could have been repressing your youki. I don't have a youkai sense of smell. How was I to know you were nearby?" He snorted and she crossed her arms. "You seem to be forgetting how gullible Inuyasha is. Plus! You've been hanging around here for days watching Rin! You were bound to be nearby! There, problem solved!"

Sighing quietly, he gathered her into his arms and leapt down to the forest floor, setting her down beside her discarded towel. Kagome wasted no time hiding her toy behind some rocks before walking quickly to the warm waters of the spring. Turning when she was halfway submerged, she looked back at the taiyoukai who was calmly walking back into the trees.

"Will I see you again?" she asked softly, suddenly overcome with the need to know if he would return.

He paused, murmuring a soft "perhaps" before continuing into the trees.

After he was gone, Kagome sunk down into the water, resting her head on her knees, unable to keep the smile from her face. Another shout from Inuyasha however reminded her that she had more important things to worry about at the moment. She quickly scrubbing her body and hair to remove as much of her lover's scent as possible with water alone before attempting to look as if she'd dosed off while bathing. The smile never left her face though, even when Inuyasha came crashing through the trees in search of her. The night had turned out far more wonderful than she could have hoped. Now she could only wait for the next time she met with the youkai lord of the West. She hoped it was soon.

**P.S. I hate the title of this chapter. Anyone with suggestions of something better please feel free to share. **


	4. InterruptedAGAIN!

Allies with Benefits

A.N. Hi there. Before we get to the chapter, I wanted to let you guys know the reason for my lack of update and my lack of response to reviews. I haven't had a very good year or so. In the summer of 2012, one of my cats was injured and even though the cut was minor, she took months to heal. And once she finally did heal, she began getting abscesses and then in September, shortly after the last update of this story, she died. Then I got a job creating an anime character for a music video, but it fell through. And then in January, my other cat died and given the way it appeared she simply gave up the will to live, I suspect she died because she could no longer to bear to live without her sister. My babies had been with me for twelve years and so I was devastated by their deaths. I know that I am prone to making excuses for not updating, but I felt that you guys deserved a reason for my absence. With that, let's get on to the chapter.

Chapter Four: Interrupted….AGAIN!

"So, Rin's doing well is she?"

"Aye, she possesses the spirit of a miko. All we need do is harness it."

"Well, that's good." Kagome smiled as she ladled some soup into a bowl and took a seat near the fire. Glancing out the window to where Inuyasha sat guarding the hut, she sighed. "He still hasn't moved."

"Aye, I feel he still expects an attack from Sesshoumaru."

Their hanyou friend had been sitting in the exact same spot since they'd gotten back from the hot spring the night before. Sesshoumaru hadn't shown his face once in that time, but his aura was still whispering around them as if to make sure they knew he was still nearby.

"But I mean, if he was going to attack, he would have done it already." Grumbling about the dense nature of unnamed hanyou, Kagome once again got up and ladled some soup into a bowl before heading outside. "Hey," she said, sitting down next to her grumpy friend. "I brought you some soup."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

Used to this sort of reaction, Kagome set the bowl between them, knowing he would pick it up when he was ready. Then she waited. He seemed especially determined to ignore her today, but she wasn't in any hurry. That was the only way to really connect with Inuyasha. You couldn't rush him or he'd block you out entirely. So, she waited. Finally, after what seemed ages, he sighed.

"I know, you know…" he said softly, picking up his now cold soup.

"Huh?"

"You told Kaede if Sesshoumaru was going to attack he would have done it by now. Well, I know that. It's just; he's hunted me for so long, it's difficult to accept peace. I keep expecting him to appear before me, sword drawn, ready for a fight."

"But you have to remember, Rin is here now. He wants Kaede to train her to become a miko. He has more honor than to attack his daughter's teacher, or her friends. "

"Tch. Honor? Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes Inuyasha, he does have honor."

"He used a fake of my mother!"

"That was years ago! Don't forget you tricked me into releasing you before trying to kill me."

"But did I drag your mother into it?"

"Well, no. But still."

He sighed. "I know you're right; he's not going to attack. But it's just difficult."

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing, it's just a saying from my time." They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes before Kagome stood and stretched. "Well, I'm going back inside to wait for Sango. Would you consider coming in with me?"

"Maybe in a bit."

Nodding, Kagome glanced at the disappearing sun and tried one last time. "Don't stay out too long," she said softly, watching as his human features consumed his body. When Sango returned later that night, Kagome quickly offered to go to the hot springs with her.

"But Kagome, didn't you take a bath last night?"

"Hey, where I come from, people take baths every day, sometimes twice!"

"Alright, alright," the young exterminator chuckled. "Just let me take this soup out to Miroku. He said he wanted to wait and eat when he got back from helping Hiyoshi, but they've been out there all day and the poor boy still hasn't been able to summon any power into his sutras. I'm hoping the smell of food will convince them to stop for the night." Kagome nodded as her friend ladled two servings of soup into the thermoses Kagome had brought Kaede last winter.

Kaede wasn't the only one with a new pupil; a young man from the next village over had also started training under Miroku. It seems while the young boy's village had a priest, he wasn't much for teaching. The boy had stated on several occasions that he much preferred Miroku's teaching style. He was currently trying to focus on summoning his power and Miroku said the boy had potential—but personally, Kagome couldn't see it. He was almost as hopeless as her grandfather, and that was saying something. But then again, he'd barely started training since he was technically supposed to be training under the priest in his own village. Therefore, he was only able to come when the old man was too busy to do anything—which wasn't often.

Miroku thought the boy was foolish walking all the way here just to get in a few measly hours of training, but Kagome understood. Miroku had a lot more experience fighting youkai due to their extensive travels in search of the shards, and he also had a different philosophy regarding youkai in general. From what she'd heard, the old priest was of the opinion that the only good youkai was a dead one. And on the other hand, Miroku's best friend was a hanyou. She could tell this young man held Miroku in a much higher light because of that. Hiyoshi had not actually met Inuyasha yet, since the hanyou always claimed to be too busy whenever the boy came around, but Shippou often joined them so that Hiyoshi could try to pinpoint the kit's youki—which the monk said Hiyoshi hadn't been able to do yet either. But she had faith in Miroku's skill; she just hoped he didn't teach the boy his lechery too.

When Sango came back, grumbling about 'lecherous monks who ought to know better than to act that way in front of their students,' the girls gathered their stuff and headed off to the springs. They stopped long enough to bribe Shippou into sounding the alarm if either of their male companions tried to veer into the general vicinity of the spring, before heading out.

"Ahhh…" Kagome said as she slid into the water. "That feels soooo good."

"Agreed."

Kagome didn't want to admit it, but she'd been rather sore since her little encounter the night before. And the hot water was working wonders on her sensitive muscles. Leaning back, Kagome closed her eyes and relaxed…until Sango's voice reminded her of a rather important detail she'd overlooked.

"Kagome, what's that mark on your shoulder?"

_CRAP!_

After numerous stammers and several thought processes, Kagome managed to tell Sango that she'd gotten the mark at home while playing with her cat. Sango didn't seem convinced, but Kagome was hoping the exterminator would at least notice the apparent brush off and leave it at that. She dunked under the water, tangling her hands in her hair to loosen the knots that had formed during the day. When she resurfaced, Sango had turned away from her to wash her own hair so Kagome sighed knowing she'd escaped further questioning.

They finished their bath in relative silence, each caught up in their own thoughts, but just as Sango stood to get out, a twig snapped a few feet into the trees. Without wasting a second, the demon slayer picked up a rock from the bank and flung it towards the sound, both girls laughing as the unconscious form of Miroku fell through the underbrush to land face down in the dirt.

Kagome couldn't help her chuckle. "Serves him right!"

"Do you think I overdid it?"

Her companion slowly exited the spring to check on the now unconscious monk while Kagome continued to cackle. "Nah, he deserved it. Kami knows he should know better than to peep by now. He's just lucky you left your hirakotsu at the hut."

"I guess. Well, either way, he's out cold. I'm going to have to drag him back now I suppose."

"Alright," Kagome said, getting ready to leave the spring herself until she felt the unmistakable whisper of a claw run down the side of her neck and her name ghosted from an unseen being behind her. Sinking back down into the water, she smiled. "I'll, uh…I'll catch up with you. I'm not done soaking just yet."

Her friend glanced at her briefly before shrugging and picking up the monk. "Alright, but don't stay out too late. You know how Inuyasha gets when you wander off on his human nights."

"I'll be right behind you. I promise."

Hoping she hadn't just willingly left herself alone with an attacker, Kagome quickly rinsed any remaining suds from her body as someone slid off the rocks behind her into the water. A strong arm soon wrapped around her waist and she noted with a mixture of excitement and relief that the wrist of her assailant bore two maroon stripes. Smiling, she leaned back, tilting her head as soft lips touched the flesh of her neck.

"Mmm, hello again."

He merely grunted in response, his attention never leaving her neck. Kagome grinned as his hand came up to fondle her breast. "I hadn't expected you back quite so soon. Miss me that much?" He responded by pressing his body flush against her, and she gasped as she realized he had apparently missed her quite a lot. She hesitantly reached behind her and ran her fingers down the length of him, restraining a giggle when he laid his forehead on her shoulder and groaned. Emboldened by his reaction, she wrapped her fingers around the shaft and slid her hand down, putting just a little pressure into her caress. With the angle he was standing at, it was difficult to touch him like she desperately wanted to, but she managed. Her fingers glided over his hardness, gradually faster and tenser he suckled on her neck.

Suddenly, he spun them around and his lips descended on hers like a parched man after water. Kagome mewled into his touch, her slender fingers gliding up to touch his bicep. Vaguely she noticed he was moving them back to the rocks that lined the back of the spring. He lifted her up, his lips ghosting down her neck as he laid her on a large rock. He stopped momentarily to pay homage to her nipples before continuing his journey down her body.

Kagome hummed quietly and wove her fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp as his lips trailed ever downward. She felt his warm breath caress her folds as he finally reached his destination. When he didn't immediately touch her, Kagome gave his head a tiny push, shivering when he chuckled.

"Patience little one," he rumbled, giving her inner thigh a lick. "This Sesshoumaru will not disappoint you."

She moaned in response, her fingers twisting in his silken locks as his lips descended to her core. Her body jolted as his lips touched her clit and his fingers gently parted her folds. His tongue dipped into her and she shivered in pleasure. The sensation of his warm rough tongue lapping at her folds was like nothing she could have imagined and she was at once hurled into a world of stars and colors. She threw her head back as her pleasure mounted and the imaginary coil within her wound tighter and tighter, but just before her body could ignite, he withdrew; pulling her off the rock and back into the water before she could even process what was happening.

"Why…wh"

"The hanyou approaches," he growled, clearly just as annoyed at the interruption as she was.

"GAH! Damn him! Couldn't he just give me a minute to myself?! I figured he'd at least give me a few minutes before he sent out the search parties!" Turning to glance at her lover, Kagome sighed. "He won't let me out of his sight for the rest of the night now. Next time we should come up with a plan to avoid being detected. I'm tired of his interruptions."

"He will be harder to fool when his youki returns."

"I know," she grumbled, absentmindedly tracing a pattern on his chest. "Isn't there a way to hide your scent from him? I don't want to wait until he turns human again to finish what we started."

"I will look into it."

She reluctantly moved to the edge of the spring and he followed, surprising her by pulling her back against his body. "Until next time," he rumbled, running his tongue down the line of her shoulder before releasing her and retreating into the trees.

Kagome watched him go; only turning to dress when his form had completely faded from her view. Grumbling the whole time about over protective hanyous who should butt out of her sex life, she slowly walked towards the village.

But at least now she knew he would return.


	5. The Proposition

Allies with Benefits

Chapter 5: The Proposition

Kagome turned impatient eyes on the hanyou across the clearing. _Come on! Hurry up already!_

She'd spotted the soul collectors twenty minutes earlier, now she just had to wait for Inuyasha to follow. Kikyo had become very helpful over the past few months. Inuyasha was so much easier to fool when he was busy with his own lover. It was only a matter of time before he snuck off, claiming to go hunting. All she had to do was wait.

But, fifteen minutes later, she was still waiting. And although it seemed Kikyo was willing to wait, her particular taiyoukai normally was not. If the hanyou waited much longer, she'd have to wait another week to see Sesshoumaru, and that wasn't something she particularly wanted.

Finally, almost an hour after she'd first noticed the soul collectors, Inuyasha finally jumped down from his perch.

"I'm going for a walk," he mumbled.

_About damn time!_ Kagome waited for Inuyasha to disappear into the trees before beginning the act she'd perfected since she'd begun seeing Sesshoumaru. Standing from her sleeping bag, Kagome looked off in the direction the hanyou had gone, trying to look as forlorn as possible. "Inu…" she mumbled.

Sango rose on queue and came to Kagome's side. She hated how gullible her friends were sometimes. "Don't be sad Kagome."

"I'm…fine." She sobbed, squeezing out a single tear before pulling away from her friend. "I just…I think I need to be alone."

She made a deliberate exit in the opposite direction Inuyasha had gone, making sure to voice the occasional sob until she was out of earshot. Then, she took off, trying to get as much distance as possible between her and camp in case they decided to look for her. She found a small clearing a ways off and sat down to wait, she just hoped she wasn't too late. But she should have known he couldn't resist seeing her. Almost as soon as she sat down, she felt his arm embrace her from behind.

"I was beginning to think you were not coming."

"I had to wait for the moron to run off to his zombie."

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. That reference is post feudal. Let's just say it took Inuyasha a while to leave."

"Soul collectors not being obvious enough?"

"Apparently not." She leaned back against his firm chest, her fingers coming to rest on his arm around her shoulders. "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes. The other lords will begin arriving tomorrow. I will go back to the west this night."

"So, what you're saying is, I better take advantage of you while I can." She languidly brushed her fingers against his arm, loving how it jerked minutely against her. She would have never guessed Sesshoumaru to be the ticklish type, but over the past few weeks, as she grew bolder in their encounters, Kagome had discovered quite a few sensitive areas on his body.

He grunted, his lips coming to caress the back of her neck, right between her shoulder blades. She moaned in response, dropping her head forward to allow him better access. She wasn't the only one to have discovered secret pleasure spots. She reached around to stroke his hair and was just about to turn around and kiss him when Inuyasha's voice rose over the trees, angrily calling out her name.

"Damn it!" She hissed. "He's relentless! We're never going to get a chance to fully enjoy ourselves with him constantly interrupting."

He 'hnn'd' and she turned around to look up at him. She could see the frustration in his eyes, but there wasn't anything they could do about it now. She could already hear Inuyasha crashing through the trees. Soon, Sesshoumaru would have to go or they'd be caught. She kissed him one final time before reluctantly untangling herself from him. She began walking back the way she had come, but she only made it a few feet before his hand caught her wrist.

"Meet me by your well in one hour."

She spun around, intending to question him, but he was already gone. _I wonder what he's up to…_

Inuyasha's continued shouting brought her swiftly back to the present and she quickly schooled her features as Inuyasha leapt into the clearing.

"Wow, back already?" She said angrily. "What's the matter, Kikyo didn't have time to cuddle after you were spent?"

Her hanyou companion gaped at her and Kagome took that opportunity to quickly fizzle out the traces of Sesshoumaru's scent on her as the taiyoukai had taught her to. Inuyasha didn't seem to have noticed and Kagome walked briskly past him, being sure to hold her body tensely as if she were truly upset—which wasn't that difficult since she _was_ peeved at having once again been interrupted. She tried to think of how she could make it back to the well in an hour. They were a fair distance away from the village; she'd never make it on foot.

Spying Kirara through the trees, she saw her chance. Deciding she'd just go home for a few days after meeting with Sesshoumaru, she silently entered the campsite and quickly packed her bag before turning to Sango.

"Sango, may I borrow Kirara? I think I'm going to go home for a few days."

"Kagome, don't let him…" her friend started, but Kagome held up her hand.

"Please," she murmured, trying to sound like she was holding back tears. "Just let me go. I just need a break." She held her breath as her friend stared at her, but after a moment, Sango nodded her head.

"Alright, but be careful."

"I will," Kagome said as she walked to Kirara. As she swung her leg over the fire neko, she glanced at the hanyou who was finally slinking into the clearing, his metaphorical tail between his legs. She didn't give him a chance to say anything though as she urged Kirara forward. As the fire neko rose into the ski, she heard Miroku lay into Inuyasha with an angry "Well, now you've done it!" Content that her friends would be tormenting for the poor hanyou for hours, thus ensuring her safe escape to the well, Kagome closed her eyes and wondered what her lover could be planning.

When Kirara landed in front of the well forty minutes later, Kagome gave the fluffy kitty a hug and then watched as she took off and headed back to her friends. Then, once she was sure she was gone, Kagome made a quick run down to Kaede's for a little safeguarding against premature hanyou interruptions. She stopped just outside the village to school her features into her standard 'Inuyasha is a meanie' face and then walked briskly into the village.

"Kaede?" She said, as she pushed aside the grass mat that sheltered the old woman's home. "Are you home?"

"Kagome, what's wrong child?"

"It's nothing," she said, being sure to sniffle just enough to be believable. "But I'm going home for a few days. Can you stall Inuyasha when they get here? I need some time alone and I don't want him to follow me."

"Of course my child. But what happened?"

"It's nothing. I'll tell you when I get back."

"I understand. Rest well."

"Thanks."

She gave the old woman a hug and then made her way back to the well. Sesshoumaru was already there, standing just out of sight on the far edge of the clearing. But she could feel his youki wrap around her in a gentle caress. He walked into the clearing to meet her, his hair blowing gently in the breeze.

"Well," she said softly when they were side by side. "I'm here. What did you have in mind?"

"A proposition."

"Oh really? Do tell."

"You requested a better meeting place. One where interruptions would be less likely."

"Yeah, it would be nice not to have to rush, but that doesn't see likely. I'd also like to have a bed every once in a while, but that doesn't seem likely either."

"Maybe. Maybe not." He walked casually past the well, brushing his fingers along the side.

"What are you getting at? I thought you were leaving tonight for that meeting of the lords."

He came to stand behind her, his arm coming to embrace her as his head dropped to the crook of her neck. "Come with me."

It was whisper, so quiet she would have missed it if he hadn't been right by her ear, and it completely floored her. Turning to look at him, she tried to hide her shock.

"Are you serious? You want me to come to your home?"

"I believe that is what I said, yes."

"But—but, you have that thing…with the lords. Wouldn't I be in the way?"

"No, my presence is only required for a short time. These events bore me were it not vital to keep peace, I would do away with the entire mess."

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. Was this really Sesshoumaru? She was tempted to ask if he'd lost his mind, but that might end up with her having a slight case of the deads. So, instead, she threw caution to the wind and nodded her head.

"Alright,"

"Then, I will wait here while you go gather whatever you need from your home. We shall leave when you return."

He motioned to the well and Kagome nodded, blushing as she disappeared into the void. On the other side, the gravity of what she was about to do hit her like a freight train.

She was about to go home with Sesshoumaru. To the Western fortress….where he live. This was a big step. Once she wasn't quite sure she was ready for. But at the same time, she didn't feel she could pass up such a once in a lifetime opportunity. "I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face."

Half an hour later, she jumped back through the well, surprised to find Sesshoumaru already seated on the well floor, waiting for her.

"Ready?"

She nodded, smiling when he lifted her into his arm and took to the skies.


	6. Alone at Last!

Allies with Benefits

**Raven-2010:** Lol, thank you. I tried to think of something that would both confuse and shock him. She would need time to get away from him so she could successfully run away, plus after all, he'd almost cost her her "special time" with a certain taiyoukai…so it would be expected she would be annoyed with him. XD

**LoveInTheBattleField:** Thank you! And an EXTREMELY belated Happy Easter to you as well! ^_^

Chapter 6: Alone at last!

Kagome sighed happily as she sank into the warm water. "Ah, I could get used to this." She giggled and sank into the water so that only her nose up was visible. They'd arrived a few minutes earlier and Sesshoumaru had covertly brought her to a lavish bedroom, telling her that he had to attend to a few things and for her to wait here for him. But she hadn't been able to resist exploring a bit. She'd peeked her head around the first two doors of the room she was in to find a garden and a small study. The third door had been by far her favorite though. It had opened up to reveal the hot spring she was currently relaxing in.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to relax in a real hot spring without having to worry about being interrupted. Sure she'd been in hot springs all over Japan in her travels, but those were normally always in the company of Sango and Shippou. And of course, there was always the looming threat of peeping hanyous or rampaging demons. To be able to relax completely like this, it was bliss. Pure and simple. She had just about fallen asleep when the shoji screen slid open behind her. She tensed for a split second, until Sesshoumaru's voice rumbled through her.

"I thought I told you to wait," he said and she heard the soft swish of silk sliding to the ground.

"Sorry," she said, turning around to smirk at him. "I couldn't resist."

"I can see that." The last of his clothes dropped to the floor and her eyes crawled up his body hungrily. "No interruptions this time."

She grinned, nodding as he waded into the spring. "Bout damn time too!" She stood and met him near the edge, her arms reaching to pull him down for a kiss. "Mmm, I thought you had stuff to do?"

"Don't remind me." He dropped his head to her neck and she giggled.

"You didn't even go yet?" She heard a barely audible "No" which he tried to distract her from by nibbling on her ear, but she pulled back. As much as she wanted this, she didn't want to keep him from his duties—especially when she was in a house surrounded by unfamiliar youkai whom she had yet to identify as friendly. "Come on now, you can't shirk your duties. I can wait."

"And what makes you think I am willing to wait?" He jerked his body against hers and Kagome gasped, extremely tempted to take back her words. But sense told her they should wait.

"I didn't say was willing to…but we need to wait. You have duties here, and I don't want to be in the way."

"You're joking right?"

"I wish I were. Trust me, I want this as much as you do, but we just can't."

He growled and for a moment, Kagome was reminded that this was a very dangerous youkai, but then his head dropped back to her shoulder and he groaned. "Why must you be so honorable all the time?"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around him, her fingers stroking down his back. "Comes with the calling."

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Unfortunately, yes…"

He groaned again and Kagome smirked. As much as she hated that they weren't getting what they wanted, she also couldn't help but also revel a little in the power she held over someone so powerful. She couldn't really visualize anyone else escaping unscathed from denying him what he wanted. But he was already pulling back, grumbling endlessly as he went, but retreating all the same.

"Wait," she said softly. "Just because we can't do that…doesn't mean I'll make you leave with nothing."

He cocked his head in her direction, his eyebrow quirking in question as he tried to figure out the meaning of her words. But he didn't have to wait long for his answer. Keeping her eyes locked with his, Kagome slowly sank to the floor, watching his face for a reaction. This was never something she'd been able to do, mostly because they were always so pressed for time. Taking his length in her hand, she looked up at him one final time—praying she wouldn't disappoint him—and then gave his tip a tentative kiss.

He hissed, his fingers flying into her hair. Taking his as a good sign, Kagome took his length whole in her mouth, sucking in as much as she could. She tried to think what would feel best for him for a split second, the paranoid part of her brain still fearful that he would yank her away and tell her she was embarrassing herself. But regardless of what she did, faster, slower, harder, softer—his reactions were the same grunts and hisses she always heard when they were together. His hand had been steadily increasing its grip on her scalp, from a bare whisper to a firm hold, but she noted that he was still in control. His claws never touched her.

She began twisting her hand around the base, and the groan that escaped him then was enough to make her shiver in response. She was surprised to find she was gaining pleasure from this. Her friends in school had always complained about having to do this for their boyfriends, but the knowledge that she was pleasing him was sending her soaring as well.

She was sure his servants could hear everything, but surprisingly enough, she didn't care. Because it didn't matter that they could hear, because they wouldn't interrupt. And that was thrilling as well. They were finally able to enjoy each other, without interruption.

She felt his movements become steadily jerkier and knew he was almost at his limit. Bracing herself, she took him into her mouth and sucked hard. The taiyoukai above her roared his release, making more sound in that one moment than he normally made in a week. She coughed, choking on his seed as it surged down her throat. She'd been unprepared for just how quickly it emerged, but she tried to swallow all she could—although she had to admit, it wasn't the best tasting thing she'd had in her mouth.

When he was through, she licked him clean and then sat back on her heels to look at him. His eyes were closed, his breaths coming in rough and harsh as he apparently basked in his pleasure. As he came down from his high, his eyes slid open and down to her. His hand released her hair and he held it out for her to take. When she took it, he pulled her up for a kiss.

"When I return," he said, resting his forehead against hers, still slightly out of breath. "It's your turn."

"Is that a promise?"

He nodded against her and she had to restrain another giggle at how loopy he was. He gave her shoulder a final nip and then left her, the door barely shut before she'd wanted to rush after him, his duties be damned. But she didn't. It had been her decision to wait, and anyways he had things to do. So, she returned to the spring instead, deciding to primp herself in preparation for the night to come.

Or well, she tried to primp…

Barely twenty minutes after Sesshoumaru had left, Rin had come bursting in, exclaiming how happy she was that Kagome had come to visit. Apparently one of the guards had let it slip that she was here—and given that those guards had been given explicit instructions not to breathe a word of her presence to anyone, she sincerely hoped whoever had blabbed was now far, far away where Sesshoumaru couldn't reach him. But regardless of who had told, Rin was here now and bless her heart the poor girl wouldn't leave her alone.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see the pre-teen—who was apparently taking a short break from her studies to attend the youkai gathering—but there were more important matters on her mind that how her reiki was channeled into her bow. Like where the hell was Sesshoumaru?! It was getting quite late and she was getting tired of waiting damnit! She'd tried to pinpoint his youki, but with all the youkai within the palace, she was having trouble narrowing down where he was. She could, however, feel his frustration and took a small comfort in the knowledge that she was not the only one becoming impatient. Near as she could tell, it was already close to midnight. She was sure Sesshoumaru was probably doing something terribly important for the gathering, but she couldn't help regretting not letting him ravage her earlier.

She was just beginning to wonder if Rin even had a bedtime, when the door slid open and Sesshoumaru walked in.

"Rin," he said immediately. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she turned to face her adopted father, clearly not having expected to be caught. "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, but I heard Kagome-dono was here and I wanted to say hello." She hurriedly left the room, waving briefly to Kagome as she went.

As the door shut behind the girl, Kagome saw a hunger descend onto Sesshoumaru's features unlike she'd ever seen before. He stalked towards her, his gaze rooting her to the spot. She leaned against the wall, grinning like mad as he stopped a hair's breadth from her, his hand coming to rest on the wall beside her. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she pulled him down for a kiss.

"I thought you'd never come."

"Mmmm," came his voice, muffled from where it was buried in her neck. "Jaken kept finding more things for me to do."

Kagome chuckled, easily imagining the imp creating problems just so he wouldn't be able to come see her. "I hope you didn't hit him too hard."

"He'll live," he replied as his hand pushed the edges of the silk robe from her shoulders. She'd bought it weeks ago while out shopping, thinking it would be a good surprise for her lover. The robe was one of those thin kimono style wraps made from white silk and covered in chrysanthemum blossoms. The pattern was too much to resist, especially with the matching bra and panty set that Sesshoumaru was currently growling in approval at. She was glad she remembered to grab them.

"Do you like it?"

He growled again in response, which Kagome took as a 'yes,' and leaned in to nip her collarbone. As he lavished her neck with attention, Kagome reached down and began untying his obi. She wanted him naked and as he reached for the clasp of her bra, she knew he was thinking the same thing. She had long given up her insecurities about disrobing him and she flung his haori and inner shirt from his shoulders, leaving them to sink to the floor, forgotten. She continued pulling on this and untying that until he was completely bare before her once more. He was already standing at attention, dripping in anticipation. She reached for him, but he stopped her.

"My turn," he said, bending at the knees so he was eye level with her belly. She smiled, eager to feel his tongue upon her, but instead he wrapped his arm around her thighs and stood. She 'eep'd' and clutched at his head as he rose and her body began to slide up the wall. He instructed her to straddle his shoulders and she rushed to comply, her grin returning as she realized what he was planning.

His lips descended upon her and Kagome mewled, her legs curling around his head. She loved it when he did this, but given their usual time restraints, this was also something else they rarely got to do. So now, she reveled in his tongue upon her flesh. Her cries rang out through the room and out into the corridor as she screamed her pleasure to the heavens. Reaching down, she threaded her fingers in his hair, caressing his scalp and the tops of his pointed ears—another of those secret pleasure spots she'd found. He growled in response, and the vibrations made her scream even louder. She could feel her release building, her leg muscles tensing spasmodically around him and her fingers yanked at his hair as she thrashed above him. She felt something nudging her ass and tried to pull away for a second. But then, as his fingers entered her, he sucked hard on her clit and she was gone, riding the waves of her ecstasy as he happily lapped her juices.

When she regained her senses, Kagome was surprised to find he'd relocated them. They were now lying on his futon and he was suckling on her breast like a parched man after water. His sunfire eyes were watching her intently and upon seeing her look at him, he crawled up to claim her lips. His fingers were still playing with her snatch, keeping her poised on the brink of release.

Pulling herself from his lips, Kagome grabbed his ass in both hands and thrust it deliberately towards her core. "Enough teasing Sesshou! Fill me already!"

He chuckled, his hand leaving her to position himself. She gasped as he entered her, at one feeling complete as he pounded into her. She could feel her release coming once again and reached down to fondle his balls. The growl that escaped him then was enough to push her over the edge, with him following close behind.

When she awoke sometime later, Kagome couldn't remember where she was for a moment. But then, the arm around her waist tightened and pulled her against a firm chest. Smiling, she let her fingers dance upon her sleeping lover's arm, delighting in the little jumps and twitches of his muscles. They had finally gotten their privacy—and had finally made it to a bed. Rolling onto her back so she could look at him, Kagome realized this was the first time she'd seen him sleep. Ever. Even when the taiyoukai had teamed up with them in the past, he'd always stayed alert during the night, if he even stuck around that long to begin with.

He looked so different like this, his features relaxed, stoic mask flung to the far reaches of his mind. Until they'd begun this little adventure, Kagome was convinced his face was stuck like that, but she'd since seen his expression contort in ways she'd never thought possible. But never had she seen his features completely relaxed. He looked human; that was the only way to describe it. As if he didn't have a care in the world, which she now knew was far from true. In fact, she had a feeling that his mask was in place to protect those he cared for—not that he would admit it.

"Guess I should get some sleep…there's no telling what's going to happen tomorrow." Smiling slightly, she pressed a kiss to his lips before cuddling further into his arm, relishing the feeling of the complete safety and contentment that filled her as she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Morning Surprises

Allies with Benefits

Chapter 7: Morning Surprises

"Come on Kaede! I know you know where she went!" Inuyasha slammed his fist against the wall of the hut, glaring at the old miko sitting by the hearth.

"I told ye all I know Inuyasha," she said, turning to check her soup pot. "Kagome came and asked me to delay ye so she could go home for a few days and get some peace. I suggest ye check the well."

"I already did!" the hanyou growled. "And her mom said she hasn't been home in weeks! Which means, you're lying to me!"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, feeling this had gone far enough. "You know Kaede wouldn't lie. Maybe Kagome did go into the future, but is staying with friends to avoid risking you finding her."

"Shut up monk! You don't know what you're talking about. I would have smelled if her scent had gone away from the shrine. It didn't. It went to her room and then back to the well! Which means she's hiding somewhere in this time. And this old hag knows where!"

"Inuyasha you are a fool." It was Sango who spoke this time. "Haven't you noticed Kagome wandering off quite a bit lately? Every time you run off to Kikyo?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"You seriously haven't noticed, have you?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha turned to face her, his anger momentarily forgotten. "Notice what?"

Miroku too, looked confused. "Indeed."

Sango laughed. "You men are so stupid. You seriously haven't noticed Kagome has taken a lover?"

Inuyasha fell over.

"Mmm…that feels nice." Kagome smiled as Sesshoumaru's fingers traced along her side.

"What is this?"

"Hmm?" Reluctantly opening her eyes, Kagome looked down to where his finger was slowly tracing over a small scar on her left side.

"This scar," he said. "Where did you get it? I've never noticed it before."

She chuckled. "That's probably because you've never had time to actually examine my body to your leisure before." He raised a questioning brow, giving her a look that, had she not know better, she would have thought he was out for blood. A moment later, when he didn't move, she gasped, realizing he probably _was_ out for blood…her attacker's blood. "Um…it's…" she mumbled, trying to find her voice. Her throat was suddenly dry, but she knew he wouldn't let her go without answering him. "I got it years ago when I first came through the well. I was attacked by a centipede."

"I see. And did my idiot brother manage to kill it?"

He was looking at her so intently, she wondered if he was wanted her to answer yes or no, so he could go kill her attacker himself. "Yes, he did…and then he tried to kill me himself."

"What?" he growled so loud, the reverberations echoed off the walls.

"It was right after I released him," she said, holding up a placating hand to calm him. "Don't forget you also tried to kill me when we first met." _And several times after that…_

His face fell into what could only be described as a pout and she chuckled. "He only tried the one time, and Kaede put the rosary on him so I could stop him if he tried again."

"So, the old woman put the beads on him. I always wondered who'd done that. It was highly entertaining."

"For you, yes."

He 'hmmm'd,' his fingers trailing away from the scar to continue his exploration and Kagome released her breath, realized she'd been somewhat afraid he'd go kill Inuyasha. But then his fingers trailed over something she'd hoped he'd never find.

"And this one? What'd you get this one from?"

"Um," she replied nervously. "You, actually."

If she hadn't been watching, she never would have believed it, but for a second he'd frowned. "But I never, after that first time…"

"You weren't aiming for me," she assured him. "Inuyasha dodged an attack and you smashed a tree instead. I didn't get out of the way in time when it exploded and a chunk hit my leg."

"I see,"

He was pouting again. She reached for his arm. "You got this because of me. We're even."

"But Inuyasha,"

"And I gave him the sword. He wouldn't have been able to cut your arm off without it. We're even." He looked like he wanted to continue arguing, but she shook her head, moving to get up from the futon.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said, catching her wrist.

"Nature calls," she said, knowing it would confuse him. Then, chuckling at his expression, she said, "I have to pee."

When she returned, he was getting dressed. "So, what's the plan?" She said, taking one last hungry look at his chest before it vanished beneath his inner shirt.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this was your idea. What do you want me to do while you're doing your lordly duties?"

He paused in tying his obi. "I hadn't really thought about it."

Kagome chuckled, somehow not surprised in the slightest. "Well, what are you doing today?"

"Land treaties."

"Ewww, that sounds like so much fun."

"You're more than welcome to go in my place. I'll happily hide in my room all day."

"I'm sure you would, but I think Jaken might have an aneurism if I went in your place. But I do need something to do; I can't just hide in your room all day, even if that's what you wanted. Besides, I'm sure everyone in the realm knows I'm here now. Even if we hadn't shaken the walls with our screams, I'm sure Rin has told everyone."

"I didn't want to hide you." She looked at him dubiously and he sighed. "At least not for the reason you're thinking."

Now that threw her for a loop. What reasons could he have other than the obvious?

"I didn't want you to be overwhelmed."

"Huh?" She'd been s absorbed thinking about whether or not he'd answer her if she asked what he meant, she'd almost missed what he said. "Oh," she said finally. "Thank you."

How had he known? She hadn't even realized it herself until they were already safely locked away in his room. They'd shut the doors behind them and Kagome had felt her tension lessen. She'd been terrified they'd run into a servant or guard that thought humans were scum. She knew she was safe with Sesshoumaru, but she'd still feared their stares and whispers. She knew they were doing something blasphemous to most of the youkai community. _They probably think he's just like his father…_

"Why don't you go with Rin to the village?" he said, jerking her from her thoughts. "She has to buy a kimono for the gathering. And so do you."

Another loop. Was he always this surprising in the mornings? They'd certainly talked a good deal more this morning than they normally did, but she'd just attributed that to their finally having gotten some privacy. Now she was wondering if he was always this talkative and he just didn't show it to most people. But she stopped herself there. This was Sesshoumaru. It did no good to waste time thinking he would treat her special over anyone else. He'd brought her here because he liked her body, and because he was tired of not being able to enjoy himself at his leisure. Nothing more. And that's all she wanted too. Sex. Not a relationship. Nope. Which meant he certainly wasn't buying her gifts because he wanted to, or because he was courting her. He just had to follow protocol and make sure she blended with the rest of the people at the gathering—not that her humanity wouldn't ensure she stuck out like a sore thumb no matter what she wore. Yep. That was all.

She looked up at him, surprised to find him watching her intently. "What?" She mumbled, her eyes falling to the floor as her body flushed in embarrassment.

"Don't you want to go?"

"That…" She looked up at him briefly before letting her eyes fall back to the ground. "That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"I just…are you sure?"

He was frowning again. "I would not have said it if I wasn't."

"Sorry," she said, wringing her hands as she looked anywhere but at him. "I guess I just didn't think you'd want me to go."

"Why not?"

"I…I'm not a lady."

He scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous Kagome. I already said I didn't want to hide you. If I did, I would not have brought you here. We have to hide from your friends because my idiot brother would undoubtedly react stupidly if he discovered us. But I have no reason to hide you." He finished tying his obi with a flourish, especially for someone with only one hand, sliding Tenseiga and Tokijin into their rightful places. She watched him, finding herself utterly paralyzed with shock. Suddenly he turned towards her again, "I have to go. I'll send Rin to take you to the village."

He crossed the room and was almost at the door when he stopped and sighed before turning back to her. She was standing in the same spot, her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes staring downcast at the floor.

She gasped when she felt his fingers grasp her chin and lift her gaze to his. "If you do not wish to attend, that is fine. But you are a lady. I do not associate with peasants."

She gasped again and nodded, trying not to cry. "I'll go with Rin. Thank you Sesshoumaru."

He nodded, bending to kiss her before he once again walked to the door, pausing just inside the doorframe to say, "Buy whatever you like." And then he was gone.

An hour later, Kagome was climbing onto a dappled white mare in the courtyard. Rin had taken her down to breakfast in the kitchens where she met the cook—Sasune—a spritely fire elemental who'd promptly sat Kagome down saying after last night she needed to eat up, making Kagome blush and Rin look confused. Now they were about to set out for the village and although she did not intend to take Sesshoumaru up on his offer to buy whatever she wanted, she had a feeling that Rin had been given her own instructions regarding Kagome's shopping purchases. The girl had already asked her what she was looking for other than a kimono, if there were any particular stores she wanted to go to, and what design she was hoping to find for her kimono.

"Are you ready?" Rin said, waiting for Kagome's nod before urging her horse towards the gate. Kagome was surprised to see two guards on horseback waiting at the gate as well.

"Who are they?"

Rin chuckled. "Our guards of course. You didn't think Sesshoumaru would let us leave unprotected did you?"

"Oh," Kagome said, feeling stupid. Of course he would send someone with Rin. She was his daughter after all. Instinctively reaching to her chest, she realized with shock that she'd left her bow behind. _How could I have forgotten it?_ She wondered, mentally berating herself. She always had her bow with her in the feudal era, and if she wasn't careful, she was certain to meet disaster. But then again, she had to admit, it was difficult to think of being attacked with Sesshoumaru's youki subtly caressing her senses. Only a fool would attack then while Sesshoumaru was around.

"Well, shall we?"

Smiling, Kagome nodded, brushing off her troubled thoughts as their horses entered the shade of the forest. She could worry about this stuff later. Urging her horse on, she was soon racing Rin through the trees as they sped towards the village completely unaware that halfway across Japan, her friends were preparing an all out hunt to find her.


	8. Crisis AvertedI hope

Allies with Benefits

Chapter 8: Crisis Averted….I hope.

"What about this one Kagome?"

Kagome looked up at the kimono the shopkeeper was holding up for their inspection. "Too green," she said softly, smiling at the young girl's frown. They'd been looking at kimono for over an hour and Kagome had thus far avoided buying one by finding something wrong with every one they were shown. But she was quickly running out of excuses, and although she was convinced they must have seen every kimono in the kingdom by now, the little shopkeeper kept bringing new ones out to show her, each more beautiful than the last.

They'd already found a gorgeous kimono for Rin made of a deep orange silk that had a plethora of flowers and vines that wove and blossomed around the base—but Kagome couldn't bring herself to buy one. She was beginning to realize however, that Rin was not going to take no for an answer. _No doubt his doing I'm sure._

"Come on Kagome, you have to pick one. Don't you want to go to the gathering?"

"Yes of course I do, I just….haven't found the right one."

"Well, we'll just have to keep looking then. What color do you think you want?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. I guess I'll know when I see it."

"You know what," the elderly man said, smiling softly at the pair of them. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared into the back of the shop and Kagome looked at Rin in confusion for a moment before shrugging once again and walking over to examine some geta on display near the door.

"Oh Kagome," Rin breathed a moment later. "It's perfect."

"Hmm?" She turned, surprised to find the shopkeeper holding a large box that Rin was practically drooling over. Walking back to the counter, she looked down at the box and gasped. The silk was a deep azure blue and she could see willowy sakura branches stitched across it with soft pink petals floating all around, as if blown in the wind. "It's beautiful," she murmured, holding her hand out almost reverently as if to touch it.

"The obi is white, as are the geta, and is there is a surprise on the back." The shopkeeper was still smiling, and he nodded when Kagome moved to touch it. "It should stand out perfectly with your eyes."

"Oh Kagome, you have to get this!" Rin exclaimed and then, turning to the shop keep said, "We'll take it. Please see that this kimono along with the orange one are delivered to the fortress as soon as possible." And with that, she pulled Kagome from the shop and out into the morning sun. "Now we can shop for anything else we want! I was thinking of getting some bangles, and you definitely need some hair ornaments. Oh, this is so much fun! I haven't ever had a woman to shop with!"

By the time they finally began to head back, Rin had somehow gotten more for Kagome than even herself—something that baffled Kagome considering she hadn't really wanted to buy anything. But no matter what she tried, every time she showed more than a passing interest in something, Rin bought it before she could protest. She just hoped Sesshoumaru wouldn't be angry with them for spending so much money.

"Don't worry about it," Rin said when she voiced her concerns. "He told me to make sure and buy anything you seemed to want since he knew you wouldn't buy it for yourself."

"But that was so much money!"

"Not really," Rin said, shrugging. "And some of the shopkeepers will probably just give Sesshoumaru-sama everything."

"What!? Why would they do that? They should be paid for their work!"

"Yes, but he protects them. And it's not like we go shopping every day. Don't worry. Sesshoumaru-sama will make sure they are compensated in some way. Last year, he had his guards build two new wells for them in the village so they wouldn't have to walk to the river for water."

"Oh, I didn't know that. But wasn't that a human village?"

Rin chuckled. "Yes, but they supply the fortress with food and supplies, so Sesshoumaru-sama takes care of them."

"Makes sense I guess." Kagome said, trying to make room for this new piece of information in her already overflowing perception change in Sesshoumaru. Every time she thought she had him figured out, she ended up getting thrown for a complete loop. She couldn't decide if it was wonderful or nerve wracking. "So, have you been to a gathering before?"

"Not yet," Rin replied, shaking her head. "The last one was held by the Northern Lord and Sesshoumaru-sama didn't want me to go. So I stayed here with Jaken while he was gone. I asked Jaken why I couldn't go and he said it was so I wouldn't embarrass Sesshoumaru-sama. But I heard him talking to one of the guards about how he was glad to have an excuse not to see the wolves and I realized Sesshoumaru-sama didn't want me to get scared. I um…don't like wolves too much."

Kagome nodded, mentally thinking the girl had a very valid reason for not liking wolves. She had always admired how Rin had been able to retain her innocence even after what had happened to her. Wait…wolves…gathering. "Oh crap!" She groaned, quickly urging her horse into a run. "We have to get back! I have to warn Sesshoumaru!"

"Wait Kagome!" Rin shouted after her, urging her horse forward as well. "Warn him of what?"

"Inuyasha," Sango sighed, rubbing her temples as the headache that had been threatening all day finally broke free. "Is this really necessary? Kagome will come back on her own. Why don't we just stay here at home in the village until she comes back? You don't even know where she went."

"Because dammit! She's supposed to be here! What the hell right does she have to waste time running around like a whore!"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted. "That is enough!" He had been just as shocked as everyone else about Kagome's recent activities, but he also felt extremely proud of the young miko for getting on with her life. He had always felt that Kagome had cheated herself by falling for the hanyou, considering the way he treated her. And he was not about to let Inuyasha ruin things for her if she had finally found someone. Plus…he was tired of traveling. The last thing he wanted to do was go traipsing around Japan searching for a girl who obviously didn't want to be found. Especially considering how long their last trip had taken. While Naraku may be gone, they were still forced out of the village way too much for his liking and it was time for a much needed break. He was ready to settle down, maybe finally talk Sango into moving into one of the empty houses in the village so they didn't have to sleep on Kaede's floor. "Kagome isn't some tool for you to take out and use at will. She has a right to her own life!"

"Think of what you're saying Inuyasha," Sango said softly. "Do you really think that way of Kagome? You couldn't have really expected her to wait around forever when you clearly chose Kikyo."

"I didn't…I…" the hanyou suddenly dropped to the ground in a crouch, his ears flattened to his skull. "I don't know why I said that. Of course I want her to be happy. And we both know we're just friends."

"Wait," Miroku interjected. "If neither of you wants to be more than just friends, why does she always look so miserable and run off whenever you see Kikyo?"

"I'd imagine she's using it as a cover to go see this guy." Inuyasha grumbled. "It's the only time I wouldn't notice her gone. But why wouldn't she just tell me? And why haven't I smelled whoever it is on her?"

Miroku sighed. "Considering what just happened, can you really blame her?"

"Keh." He scowled, turning away from them. "Fine. We'll wait. But she's gonna have some serious questions to answer when she comes back."

"Kagome!" Rin shouted, urging her horse to go faster. "What's wrong? What's the hurry?"

"There's no time! We have to get back before he shows up!" _I just hope it's not too late. _Kagome couldn't believe how stupid she was. She'd been so eager to get some alone time with Sesshoumaru, she'd completely forgotten one key factor. The whole point of this gathering was for the lords to meet. And one of those lords…was Koga. And that fool was bound to start trouble if he found out about her and Sesshoumaru. The only question was how to explain it to Sesshoumaru without angering him.

But Kagome learned years earlier, The Fates did not favor her. When they entered the courtyard, Koga was already standing there—in a formal kimono no less, something Kagome hadn't even known he possessed—having apparently just arrived himself. It only took him a moment to notice her, his carefree features furrowing in confusion as he turned to face them.

"Kagome? What are you doing here? Where's dog breath?"

"Hi Koga," she replied, slipping off her horse and handing the reigns over to one of the guards. "I'm here…on vacation." She hoped the foreign word would confuse him long enough for them to get away and find Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't having it.

He was walking towards her now and Kagome realized, she probably still reeked of Sesshoumaru. And judging by his reaction, he knew it. His features were darkening and Kagome quickly shoved Rin behind her. "Kagome," he practically growled, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Why do you smell…"

"That's far enough wolf."

Kagome almost melted. She had never been happier to hear his voice. Chancing a glance over Koga's now frozen form, she spotted Sesshoumaru standing on the steps into the house. Koga, it seemed, was not stupid enough to try anything with the taiyoukai present and backed slowly away from them. But his expression was still murderous and Kagome knew that things would never be the same between them.

Sesshoumaru walked out to meet them, leaning down to kiss Kagome who didn't hesitate to tilt her head up to receive him. She knew what he was doing—not that there was any real need since Koga could smell everything—but who would ever pass up the chance to kiss the most beautiful man in existence.

"Did you find everything you needed?" He asked softly, looking to Rin as well. She nodded and he motioned for them to enter the house. "Good. Go inside. I'll meet you in a moment." Then he turned to face Koga.

Kagome looked from him to Koga, praying she hadn't unknowingly created even more drama for Sesshoumaru. She wanted to stay, but Rin was already pulling on her arm and Kagome reluctantly let the young girl pull her inside.

"I don't like wolves," Rin said as the doors shut behind them.

"Well, after today, I'm not sure they'll like me anymore either."

"What do you mean Kagome-dono?"

She smiled, looking at Rin's confused expression. "I'll tell you when you're a little older. For now, why don't we go see if Sasune has anything to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"What are you doing here Koga?" Sesshoumaru said evenly as soon as the women were safely inside. "I wasn't aware I'd invited_ you_ into my home."

Koga bowed, his thick ponytail falling over her shoulder. "The Lord of the North begs your forgiveness and hopes you will accept me as an acceptable replacement."

"And why isn't he here himself?"

"The lord is busy attending to his mate. Her pups appear to be coming early and he felt travel might bring them to harm."

"Very well. But know your place wolf."

"I understand my lord." Another bow. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." He glared at the wolf for a moment longer, ensuring his threat did not go unnoticed, before turning and striding back into the castle.

When he found Kagome, she and Rin were giggling along to some joke told by his cook. She saw him at once and hurriedly rushed forward to meet him. "I'm sorry," she said, her eyes looking pleadingly into his own. "I was trying to get back to warn you. Sesshoumaru, what if he tells Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru noticed Sasune back slowly out of the room to give them some privacy. "The two of you will not walk unaccompanied until he leaves. I will escort you back to your room Rin."

She nodded and they followed him down the hall. After they had safely tucked Rin into her room and he had warned the guards not to let her out of their sight if she left said room, Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked back to his own rooms.

"You don't really think he'll hurt Rin do you?" She said as soon as the door shut behind them. Sesshoumaru began to undress and she watched him, willing herself to enjoy this view while she could, too bad her brain didn't want to cooperate. "Oh this is all my fault. I'm so sorry Sesshoumaru."

He turned to face her, and she was shocked to see the confusion on his features. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Koga…he's well, obviously he's going to cause trouble." Her eyes dropped to the floor, unable to face him. But he gently grasped her chin with his fingers and lifted her gaze once again to his.

"The guards are there for Rin's peace of mind. I would have ordered it even if the Northern Lord had come as planned. The wolf is not stupid enough to try anything here."

"Wait…I thought Koga was the Northern Lord?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "He's the Lord's son. Eventually he'll be Lord, but for the moment his father is still running things. However, he apparently decided to send Koga in his place."

"Oh," Kagome said softly, noting the growl that rose within him as he spoke. But then it was gone as soon as it had come and Kagome saw the muscles in his shoulders relax slightly.

"I did not know Koga would be coming."

"Shou, what are we going to do? He'll tell Inuyasha just to spite him!"

"I will take care of Koga. He will not bother you anymore. " He wrapped his arms around her and slowly began backing them towards the door to the hot spring, his fingers trailing to the edge of her shirt. "Now, forget about this for a while. I have another more pressing problem—one that will require your undivided attention."


End file.
